The Ghost of Mystery Airport

light of the ever increasing flashes in the North,

he asked Don i

ked lightning leaped ac

xtended his arm, o

lowly downward, lit up the

y in a tangled heap of marsh grass at the edge of the ligh

outlines. For a moment the more sinister apparition which had menaced

for a man whose airplane had gone down so swi

ing flare

and whose unexplainable disappearance had added to, rather than diminished his terror, cried out in disma

his remonstrating call had not been heard because of the noise made by the engine. At h

sh timidity, braced himself to ignore

of heavenly fire, Don turned a

essed th

idity and the gathering thunder heads, was bearing down s

oach gave Don

once to the airport. They could set down, get the Dragonfly in the han

m might break upon them before they could rescue the fallen p

ng another note

ext flicker of the i

to go down. But his life

ders, and then side-slipped to lose altitude as quickly as he could. He brought the ship to a level once more, and,

mentum across the wide stretch of water they

shed to be able to stake down the wings and tail, to prepare the ship as well as possible against the tear and stress of high winds. He hoped that the airplane would run close to the edge of the open

assure himself that it contained the liniments, bandages and adhesives he might need. Garry had taken a n

the old dock as the safety of wings and propeller would a

vided by the almost incessant flickers of lightning, Chick sprang up, and began to c

n caught th

the stormy area. Bringing the ship as close to the dock as he could, by flinging a bight of the rope over a dock piling, Don let the wind drift its ta

ound so that it was sheltered somewhat by the d

is weight on the supporting framework, Chick, his terrors forgotten in action, held a flying wire with o

could get the dory and the low wingtip close

available inch of their rope in securing the Dragonfly against the pull and

nks, the other balancing the light flying craft, waited un

wing bracing, steadying the d

raft together, using his hand to fend off the rub of wood against t

ick, Chick clambe

ll building, old, dil

re solid shore a hundred yards beyond, from which a narrow r

rprise, the d

ing electrical storm gave him light, located the rack

e amends for his earlier weakness by braving the storm, guarding the Dragonfly as best he

l they were worth, got the dory away from the airplane, and then took their places, r

o post, making certain that th

ed back to t

the thunder rumb

he could see Don and Garry, their bodies rising and bending in rapid rhyt

when Chick came to it

urri

. A vivid fork of light thrust its fire from

t it was not from

e came a low moan! Hollow, hard to l

doorway, his presence hidden from peering eyes by so

bolt of fire, threw the inside of t

eyes caught the huddle

ail 'plane pilot who had managed to crawl along the swamp edge to shelt

han the others showed him for a fleeting i

ck cried out in a

een of wit, nor deft of hand; he aided when ships had to be trundle

medicinal value. Curiously enough, the concoctions he administered to the amused airport personnel oft

here, in the supposably

ed. Chick bent down,

tep. The man was muttering. An empty bottle, reeking as did his bre

of a bolt that came close, Chick saw a bit of paper caught up by the draft and sent through the air. He ran to the door, threw it wide, turned, and, waiting for the next

he plans for the new all-metal ship!